bt any human power's getting him to wait
longer."

"We must, we must detain him," said Mrs. Doria. "If we do not, I am
convinced Austin will do something rash that he will for ever repent. He
will marry that woman, Adrian. Mark my words. Now with any other young
man!... But Richard's education! that ridiculous System!... Has he no
distraction? nothing to amuse him?"

"Poor boy! I suppose he wants his own particular playfellow."

The wise youth had to bow to a reproof.

"I tell you, Adrian, he will marry that woman."

"My dear aunt! Can a chaste man do aught more commendable?"

"Has the boy no object we can induce him to follow?--If he had but a
profession!"

"What say you to the regeneration of the streets of London, and the
profession of moral-scavenger, aunt? I assure you I have served a month's
apprenticeship with him. We sally forth on the tenth hour of the night. A
female passes. I hear him groan. 'Is she one of them, Adrian?' I am
compelled to admit she is not the saint he deems it the portion of every
creature wearing petticoats to be. Another groan; an evident internal,
'It cannot be--and yet!'...that we hear on the stage. Rollings of eyes:
impious questionings of the Creator of the universe; savage mutterings
against brutal males; and then we meet a second young person, and repeat
the performance--of which I am rather tired. It would be all very well,
but he turns upon me, and lectures me because I don't hire a house, and
furnish it for all the women one meets to live in in purity. Now that's
too much to ask of a quiet man. Master Thompson has latterly relieved me,
I'm happy to say."

Mrs. Doria thought her thoughts.

"Has Austin written to you since you were in town?"

"Not an Aphorism!" returned Adrian.

"I must see Richard to-morrow morning," Mrs. Doria ended the colloquy by
saying.

The result of her interview with her nephew was, that Richard made no
allusion to a departure on the Tuesday; and for many days afterward he
appeared to have an absorbing business on his hands: but what it was
Adrian did not then learn, and his admiration of Mrs. Doria's genius for
management rose to a very high pitch.

On a morning in October they had an early visitor in the person of the
Hon. Peter, whom they had not seen for a week or more.

"Gentlemen," he said, flourishing his cane in his most affable manner,
"I've come to propose to you to join us in a little dinner-party at
Richmond. Nobody's in town, yo